r/AskEurope • u/amfoolishness France • 6d ago
Education What european country has the best higher education system for neurodivergents?
I guess you can already answer without reading, I'd rather get your first answers than none at all because you decided it was too long to read ^^' but if you care to, let me explain: I live in France, I'm not French.
TLDR; How are the education systems and culture different? in terms of flexibility, assessment, pedagogy & interactiveness, counselling...
I came to study: I finished my bachelor's in France, completed a Master's program but because of a very shitty internship and tutors, I didn't get my Master's diploma, so I haven't been able to work in that field. I'd like to validate that diploma. However, my experience with French uni (and workplace to be honest) has been... a bit traumatic, it really took a toll on me. Might be culture shock, idk. Very traditional, hierarchical, square... Last year I realized a lot of my difficulties came from actually having ADD, so those 3 adjectives are particularly difficult for me to fit into. I am currently medicated so I have gotten better about things, strategies and stuff, but I don't see myself going back to French uni, going through their crappy pedagogy (lectures, lack of participation... - sorry, i work in uni too now, i see it first hand).
I was wondering about studying somewhere else in the EU, ideally an English course I guess, (I do like learning languages, I speak 3 and am learning a 4th, I just don't know if I'd get to another academic fluency - already in French people say I write the way I speak and while it's correct I indeed am not great with formal syntax). How are the education systems and culture different? Example the Dutch have good studying opportunities but I heard they can be very brutal with feedback. The Germans... scare me a bit? x) with their deal with punctuality and such I'm worried they can also be rigid... Sorry for these examples, I admit I don't know that much about them so it's just impressions and worries that maybe you can help dispel :)
Sorry for the long context question. Thanks for reading.
(optional reading) As a tangent : I have a temporary visa, I hope to get citizenship in like 3-4 years. (Been living here for 11, 6 of which as a student, the rest as a partner, only been married for 2, need to be married for 4-5 to ask for nationality that way, so I'm waiting) My question on this tangent, just in case anyone knows, is if I study somewhere else in Europe, will my visa status allow me to benefit from european uni fees and not be labeled non-EU therefore paying thousands? Or am I right in waiting until I have citizenship.
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u/PositionCautious6454 Czechia 5d ago edited 5d ago
It really deppends how neurodivergent you are and if you have been diagnosed somehow. If you have oficial document stating that you need specific support measures, Czech schools are obliged to provide them. This also applies to all disabilities. They can adjust lights or make you a voice recording, if you are too sensitive to attend normal lectures in bright classroom for example.
Every school in our country is different, as are every teacher and every department. If you choose an arts program, the teaching will be more individualized and less authoritarian. Teachers often select specific students in whom they see potential and work with them throughout their studies on friendly basis. If you choose a technical or scientific field, it will usually be very structured and organised. For example sometimes you cant even choose subjects, they just give you your timetable. The funny thing is that there are many neurodivergent people on the autistic spectrum in this field who preffer this.
When it comes to being precise and punctual, I don't think anyone would tolerate slackers. Deadlines simply have to be met. You can get a quiet place to take the exam, have oral exam instead of wtitten, or more time to write the test, but but if you don't attend the lectures or dont or fail to submit your work on time, you will fail the subject.